Improving Deafblind Travelers’ Experiences

Abstract

This article draws on the experiences of 28 deafblind people in six different countries to discuss accompanied and unaccompanied independent travel for deafblind people. These experiences were obtained from interviews carried out as part of a larger research project on travel issues. The research aimed to improve understanding of their travel behavior, including preferences for the use of travel aids or sighted guides, their spatial representations and the need for accessible information systems and public spaces, as well as cross-country comparisons and the changes required to facilitate both everyday and tourism travel for (deaf)blind people. The analysis of their experiences was used to develop recommendations in the areas of communication and access to information, international standardization to support international travel, crossing (indicators), street furniture, orientation and mobility training, and public transport, as well as suggestions for further research.